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What firefighters have taught us about working together
They journeyed from 11 countries on five continents. From as far as South Africa and as close as the United States: hundreds of firefighters working to dousing the wildfires that have done unparalleled damage to Canadian forests this year and sent plumes of thick smoke across North America.
Their…
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Countries build climate resilience by learning from one another
To build a more climate-resilient world we need to learn from the experiences of diverse countries – what has worked, what has not, and what should be tried in new locations. This is especially true for developing countries with limited means to adapt to changes in weather, water, and storm…
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We have two months to start healing the world
Back-to-back summits on climate change and biodiversity will offer the world a unique chance to come together on two of the most critical issues of our time - climate and biodiversity. Change is possible. But given the size of the crises, we must use the coming two months to be brutally honest…
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Climate solutions can contribute to tackling poverty
For developing countries throughout the world, efforts to tackle climate change can create opportunities to improve the well-being of people living in extreme poverty. A report just launched by Drawdown Lift, a program of Project Drawdown, provides a synthesis of such win-win opportunities. The…
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Supporting transparency to drive ambitious climate action
Over the past five years, the Capacity-building Initiative for Transparency (CBIT) has helped more than 80 countries improve their ability to monitor and share their progress toward international climate goals. The improved reporting and transparency resulting from CBIT support has had a truly game…
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Building with nature for a better climate
Nature finally got its rightful place within climate negotiations at COP26 in November. It was the first time – despite the well-established links between the climate and biodiversity crises – that we saw so much emphasis at an international summit on the positive role that nature can play in…
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Climate finance and the urgency for adaptation in the developing world
There is growing momentum in the international community to ramp up climate finance for mitigation and adaptation actions. Undoubtedly, a focus on climate change adaptation in the developing world must be a priority for the financing. At the same time, there is a rallying call for countries to…
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How rescheduling debt for climate and nature goals could unlock a sustainable recovery
“As the world continues to struggle with COVID-19, it is faced with urgent, intertwined crises: climate change, biodiversity loss, land degradation, pollution, and international debt.”
In a joint op-ed for World Economic Forum, GEF CEO Carlos Manuel Rodriguez and Ibrahim Thiaw, Executive Secretary…
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To build back better, we need to rethink global subsidies
In an article for the Davos Agenda 2021, GEF CEO and Chairperson Carlos Manuel Rodriguez says a renewed focus on easing pressures on nature through a green and blue recovery has breathed new life into upcoming negotiations on biodiversity loss, land degradation, ocean conservation, and climate…
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Building corridors of growth through the Sahel and beyond
Temperatures in the Sahel are increasing 1.5 times faster than the global average, and around 80 percent of the farmland has lost some degree of its natural productivity. Together, these factors diminish the availability of land for food production or grazing, deplete water, and increase the…